The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of artichoke plant, botanically known as Cynara scolymus L., and herein referred to by the cultivar name ‘PS-MSG0417’.
Cynara scolymus L., commonly known as Globe artichoke, is a thistle-like perennial herb and is a member of the family Asteraceae, also known as the Compositae family. Globe artichokes comprise: leaves, which are pinnately lobed; but primarily spiney; oval capitula composed of overlapping layers of large volucral bracts; and receptacles, which are enlarged and fleshy. Globe artichoke plants may be propagated by division or vegetative means, and are essentially grown for the production of the immature flower heads, which are considered as vegetable delicacies. Fresh artichokes may be baked, steamed, or boiled, after which the fleshy receptacle, inner and outer bracts, and parts of the floral stem may be eaten.
The new Cynara cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program carried out by the inventor, William J. Colfer, in Chowchilla, Calif., in 2002. The female or seed parent is the Cynara scolymus cultivar designated ‘GGMSC5’ (unpatented). The male or pollen parent is the Cynara scolyrmus cultivar designated ‘GGMSC5ER’ (unpatented). The new Cynara cultivar was discovered and selected by the inventor, as a single flower plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in (2001) in Chowchilla, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new Cynara cultivar by vegetative cuttings was first performed in July of 2003 in Watsonville, Calif., and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.